


In The Light

by candypinksocks



Category: Franklin & Bash
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-24
Updated: 2012-06-24
Packaged: 2017-11-08 10:53:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/442434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/candypinksocks/pseuds/candypinksocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And Jared sounds so <i>calm</i>. It's ridiculous how calm Jared sounds. Doesn't he know that any second now there'll be a huge gust of wind and they'll end up getting blown off the roof? End up a broken, bloody mess some poor municipal worker's gonna have to scrape off the sidewalk?</p>
            </blockquote>





	In The Light

**Author's Note:**

> For the kink meme prompt - _Anything really to do with Peter being scared of heights and Jared looking after him while he's panicky. Or maybe Jared gets hurt/trapped somewhere and Peter has to get over being scared of heights to look after him._

"I can't do this, Jared." Peter's got hold of the railing; his knuckles white from holding on so tight. And he can't let go. He can't even open his eyes.

"Yes you can, Peter." And Jared sounds so _calm_. It's ridiculous how calm Jared sounds. Doesn't he know that any second now there'll be a huge gust of wind and they'll end up getting blown off the roof? End up a broken, bloody mess some poor municipal worker's gonna have to scrape off the sidewalk?

"You can't feel that, can you?" The floor under his feet is moving, he can feel it, the way the building's shifting slightly, the way the world's turning and he's frozen at the top of it, holding on.

"You just need to let go - I know you don't want to, but just hold on to me okay?" Jared's hand is warm on Peter's back, drawing slow circles; it's supposed to be calming, but Peter's just finding it irritating.

"It's too high - I can't -" Peter sinks to his knees, he's still holding on to the railing but at least now he can't see the edge, only the low (really low) wall the other side of the rail. There's blue sky beyond that and if Peter squints he swears he can see that moving too.

"Just breathe and look at me - come on, Peter - look at me." He turns his head, eyes screwed shut even though it makes his head spin and he tries breathing, but that doesn't help either. He's pretty much screwed right now, can feel the panic crawling up through his chest, knows how it goes once it hits and he's stuck on the roof of the world's tallest building without so much as a brown paper bag.

"Hey - you remember freshman year, Stacey - what was her name? Collins, that's it, Stacey Collins. You followed her 'round like a puppy for a whole semester, 'til she blew you off in the cafeteria? Called you a creeper and dumped Pepsi over your head?"

"And?"

"Arrested for solicitation, called to see if we could get her off. And yes, I totally went there."

Peter's laugh is pathetic, too weak even to his own ears and it's no good, can feel his chest tightening and his head getting light, knows what's coming up now.

"Jared -" His eyes are closed but his hand finds Jared's, grips it 'til he can feel the bones moving and hear Jared suck in a breath.

He feels Jared behind him then, Jared's chest to his back, his head resting on Peter's shoulder and his breath hot against Peter's ear.

"Shh - just listen to me okay?" And Jared's done this for him before, freshman year of college, Friday night, a dare and a rooftop and too much beer, ended up being stuck up there close to an hour before Peter could let go of the flagpole and crawl back to the door.

"Okay." He's not anywhere near okay, but he leans back into Jared, lets his head fall onto Jared's shoulder and tries to take a breath. He's not crushing Jared's hand so much now, still got hold of the rail and his eyes are clamped shut and every breath _hurts_.

And Jared just talks; nothing and everything, Peter's not really listening except maybe to the sound, lets Jared's breath warm his face, Jared's arm 'round his chest and Jared's fingers soft over his ribs. 

And just like that last time, he's not on the roof anymore, he's at home at his mom's, half dozing on the couch, Jared curled around him like Jared does sometimes without thinking about it, just like it's always been since they were kids, Jared talking shit about nothing, the TV on low, too comfy to move. And they'd wake up in the morning with the afghan from the back of the couch covering them both and a glass of juice each on the coffee table with a note from Colleen telling them to get their asses up and to school. 

And just like last time, Peter can feel his chest start to loosen, his breathing ease as Jared scoots in closer, his thighs either side of Peter's hips and he knows what's coming next, Jared'll tell him it's okay to open his eyes and they'll find a spot in the horizon and start from there.

Except that's not what happens next.

Jared's lips are brushing Peter's jaw as he talks - some crap about pop tarts being smaller now than when they were kids - and it's making his skin hot, his breath pick up again and it's not 'cause he's on a fucking high building trying not to fall off. He's getting goose bumps from where Jared's fingers are brushing over his shirt, slow circles meant to soothe when they're doing anything but and this really isn't the time to get hard, but Peter's body's having other ideas.

He lets out a shaky breath and Jared takes it the wrong way and shushes him again, gets his arm up so he can get his fingers in Peter's hair, smoothing it back off his forehead and they're so close and it's not _that_ unusual but it is something, he's sure it is and then he's turning his face a little and Jared's kissing him, simple as that.

It's awkward and awesome and a little weird being all twisted up like this, Jared's nose squashed against Peter's cheek and fingers tight in Peter's hair but it's perfect just the same. Jared tastes like coffee and the tamales they had for lunch and the juicy fruit he always chews after, and he makes a fucking awesome noise as his pulls back, gets himself from behind Peter to in front, gets himself proper handful of Peter's hair and kisses him for real.

And Peter's not on his mom's couch wrapped in Jared and the worn afghan, he's on a roof top with his best friend in his lap kissing the crap and the fear and the panic right out of him and he lets go of everything but Jared, remembers how to breathe again, the tightness in his chest something entirely different now.

Peter makes a noise he's not completely ashamed of when Jared pulls away, but it's not far, just rests his forehead on Peter's and even though Peter can't see it, he knows Jared's grinning like an idiot.

"Next time, we just skip straight to the kissing, 'kay?"

Peter just nods and this time it still takes close to an hour for them to get down from the roof, but he's really okay with it.

**Author's Note:**

> For Jenn


End file.
